La. DT Garnett is commit No. 12 for Texas

There wasn’t a whole lot that 2014 defensive tackle Courtney Garnett (New Orleans/Saint Augustine) didn’t absolutely love about his visit to Texas on April 30.

He spoke as highly about the Longhorns as one could without showing his hand that he was committing soon, saying that he’d like to visit other schools to compare them to what he saw in Austin before he made a decision.

New Orleans defensive tackle Courtney Garnett had Texas on top after its spring game and decided he couldn't wait any longer. William Wilkerson/ESPN

Well, visits to Ole Miss and Mississippi State came over the weekend and, in his eyes, they didn’t compare to Texas. So Garnett went ahead and committed to the Longhorns.

“I think it is just a great fit. I think it’s going to be a great fit for me and my family,” Garnett said. “I have some family in Austin there already. It’s going to be great for me to go out there and take my talents to Texas and be coached by [defensive tackles coach Bo [Davis]. He is a great coach and will elevate me to where I want to be.”

Coach Davis’ role in this recruitment cannot be understated. He was one of the central figures behind getting Garnett (6-foot-2, 280 pounds) to commit.

“I think he is just a great guy,” Garnett said. “He has coached a lot of guys in the NFL and cares about his guys in college. Just being under him I know I can be the player I want. He’s a great coach.”

Garnett has yet to tell Longhorns coach Mack Brown about his commitment but will do so early Monday.

“It’s great. It’s great. I’m excited,” he said.

Garnett actually made up his mind on Saturday after his visit with the Bulldogs.

“It was a beneficial thing,” he said. “I just wanted to see something else so I could compare to Texas.”

In Garnett, the Longhorns are getting what Saint Augustine defensive line coach Decarlos Holmes calls one of the best run stoppers he’s ever coached.

“He is the real deal,” Holmes said. “He didn’t play a lot last year because we have a lot of guys. By him committing to Texas, he wants to be coached by Bo. Bo is a great coach. That was really big. He can play. He is a run-stopping guy. “

That run-stopping ability is exactly what Garnett plans to bring to Texas.

“They are getting a dominant run stopper,” Garnett said. “I am going to try to elevate my game more as a pass rusher. But the run is what I like.”